New Delhi, July 12 (IANS). Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal on Sunday stressed the need to adopt environment-friendly and sustainable construction methods in public infrastructure development, promote modern and new technologies, strengthen capacity building and accelerate digital transformation.
Speaking at the 172nd annual function of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, Manohar Lal praised the contribution of CPWD in nation building and stressed the importance of transparency, efficiency and timely completion of projects.
He also stressed the need for an efficient and transparent online transfer and posting system, continuous institutional reforms and preparing the department to effectively deal with future challenges in the infrastructure sector.
According to an official statement, the Union Minister gave the mantra of ‘Sankalp’ to take CPWD forward towards making it a future ready organization which includes speed, accessibility, good faith, integrity, adoption of technology, public interest and transparency.
Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, said that CPWD should adopt a comprehensive national approach in the development of public infrastructure by further strengthening its role as the premier technical organization of the Central Government.
He stressed the importance of setting up a ‘National Council for Public Works’ as a national platform to promote excellence, innovation, knowledge sharing, capacity building and standardization in the public works sector.
He said such an institutional mechanism would facilitate collaboration between central and state government agencies, educational institutions, industry and professional bodies, the statement said.
The Union Minister also presented Director General’s Medals, Appreciation Letters and Merit Certificates to the officers, employees and project teams who have done excellent work for their outstanding performance, dedication and excellence in public service.
Awards were also given for the best completed projects of the department, the statement said.
As part of the ceremony, certificates were awarded to participants who had successfully completed the capacity building programs conducted in collaboration with leading educational and professional institutions. This strengthened CPWD’s commitment to continuous learning and professional excellence.
Union Minister Manohar Lal also released the department’s publications and digital initiatives, including technical publications, ‘Nirman Bharti’ (CPWD’s annual in-house publication) and the newly developed ‘e-Nirman ERP module’. These showcase CPWD’s commitment towards digital transformation, transparency and efficient project management.
–IANS
SCH/DKP